Post on 31-Dec-2015
Projective Techniques and Focus Groups
MAR 6648: Marketing ResearchJanuary 18, 2010
Overview
• What are projective techniques?– What can they do? What can’t they do?– Are there more modern versions of these
techniques?
• What are focus groups?– What’s it like to run one? What’s it like to be in
one?
The Rorschach Test
The Rorschach Test
• Procedure– Researcher sits behind the participant.– Hands the card to the participant– “Tell me what you see…”– Conceptually measures: Initiative, Desire, Preference,
Psychosis
• Validity– Correlation between inference & reality = -.05– Perceived correlation = .65
Word Association
• What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear the following…
– Saccharine: ____________________– Aspartame: ____________________– Sweet ‘n Low: ___________________– Nutrasweet: ____________________
Sentence Completion
• People who use MasterCard are ______________.
• A man who has an American Express Card is ______________.
• A Platinum Card is most liked by ______________.
Shopping Lists
• Conducted in 1950 in response to unexpected customer resistance to Nescafe instant coffee
• When women were questioned directly about why they did not like instant coffee, the typical answer was they did not like its flavor
• Researchers suspected that flavor was an excuse
Describe each shopper…
List #1
• Pound and a half of hamburger
• 2 loaves of Wonder bread• Bunch of carrots• 1 can Rumsford’s baking
powder• Nescafe instant coffee• 2 cans Del Monte peaches• 5 lbs. potatoes
List #2
• Pound and a half of hamburger
• 2 loaves of Wonder bread• Bunch of carrots• 1 can Rumsford’s baking
powder• 1 lb Maxwell House coffee
(drip grind)• 2 cans Del Monte peaches• 5 lbs. potatoes
Haire, 1950
Picture Response
Thematic Apperception Test
Thematic Apperception Test
Steele, 1964
Advantages of Projective Techniques
• May elicit responses that subjects would be unwilling or unable to give if they knew the purpose of the study
• Are helpful when underlying motivations, beliefs, and attitudes are operating at a subconscious level
Disadvantages of Projective Techniques
• Require highly trained interviewers• Requires skilled interpreters for analysis• Serious risk of interpreter bias
But…
• The IAT
Projective Measures
• The important thing is that I find out what you’re thinking.
Focus Groups
• Group discussion with 6-12 respondents focused on key topics by the moderator
• Objectives– Open-ended and free
flowing discussion– Synergies– Brain storming
Focus Groups• 98% of consumer goods companies use them• They are essentially a semi-structured group discussion
– Videotaped and observed through one-way glass– Focused on a series of topics introduced by a discussion leader– Group members are encouraged to
• Express their own views on each topic• Elaborate on or react to the views of others
• Used to generate insights into thoughts and feelings• Best for preliminary research
– Must be followed by by surveys or experiments• Depth interviews
– Similar interviews with a single person
Setting up a focus group• Recruiting– Best practice: Run two groups for each segment– In general: Keep groups homogenous– Screening (avoid professional participants)
• Incentives– Yes, you do need to pay people…– Typically $50 and up– “If you feed them, they will come”
• Duration– 1-2 hours (announced in advance)
Setting up a focus group
• Location– Professional facility– Driven by context of group– Online
• Preparation– Discussion plan– Moderator– Recording of content
Focus Groups: Common Applications
• Understanding consumers– Perceptions, opinions, and behaviors for products
and services
• Product planning– Generating ideas about, or evaluate new products
• Advertising– Develop creative concepts and evaluate copy
material
Example: Liquiflapper Caps
• Salad dressing bottle caps
Example: Shreddies
• New: Diamond Shreddies!
Example: Mac Ad
• 1984 all over again
Advantages of Focus Groups
• Richness of data• Versatility, flexibility• Impact on managers• Relatively quick information
Disadvantages of Focus Groups
• Potentially misleading data– Conformity and obedience
Asch, 1956
Asch, 1956
Asch, 1956
Disadvantages of Focus Groups
• Potentially misleading data– Conformity and obedience– Highly dependent on the moderator and preset
questions– Not a representative sample– Opportunity for misuse– High cost per respondent ($3000-$5000 per focus
group)
Potential Worth Depends on…
• Group composition– Number of members (8-12); number of groups (4+)– Group characteristics
• Moderator characteristics– Most crucial factor influencing focus group– Must have good skills (observational, interpersonal,
communication, interpretive)• Focus group setting– Relaxed environment– Observation and recording
Summary
• Projective measures can get at ideas and reactions underneath the surface– But they can also get at ideas and reactions
underneath the surface of the interviewer
• Focus groups bring your consumers together to really understand what they think– Watch out for group influences and small samples